On a recent morning radio show, the host responded to the weather forecast for a dry day with “Whew! We like dry!”

Too much stress on the body is like flooding — it can’t recover, and the body becomes out of balance. (Photo By Tim Rasmussen/The Denver Post)

It struck me as funny because we live in a semi-arid climate. We have been in a drought and have had water restrictions for the past few years. But the fact that we received almost 2 years worth of rain in just 5 days has changed the landscape…literally. And the danger continues.

I heard another report from the northeast part of the state that said they don’t expect the South Platte River to go back into its banks until late October! So when the radio announcer says we like the sound of “dry,” what she is really saying is, “We need some recovery time.”

More rain right now doesn’t help us — even if it is the usually desirable kind that comes in a slow pitter-patter pattern. It just increases the damage and extends the flooding.

What Colorado is experiencing with rain and flooding is a perfect analogy to what your body experiences with stress. A normal, healthy pattern of small amounts of rain followed by periods of sunshine helps everything grow and thrive. Rain itself is not bad. It’s the overload with no recovery time that is causing the flooding and the resultant damage.

Travel and Fitness Editor Kyle Wagner grew up in Pittsburgh and lived in Lake County, Ill., and Naples, Fla., before moving to Denver in 1993, where she reviewed restaurants for Westword before moving to The Denver Post in 2002. She considers the best days to be those that involve her teenage daughters and doing something outside, preferably mountain biking or whitewater rafting.

The pursuit of a healthier state through better living. The Denver Post's ColoradoFit blog features local experts on the latest fitness trends, active lifestyles and nutrition options in Colorado and beyond.